BCCI emergency meet over IPL spot-fixing row

Last updated on: May 17, 2013 14:52 IST

Stung by the sensational IPL spot-fixing scandal, the Board of Control for Cricket in India has called an Emergent Working Committee meeting on Sunday to discuss the "fallout" of the controversy that has tarnished the credibility of the cash-rich Twenty20 league.

"The President, BCCI, has convened an Emergent Working Committee Meeting, at 11:00 am on Sunday, 19 May 2013, at the Park Sheraton, Chennai," read a statement from the BCCI.

"The Working Committee will discuss, among other things, the fallout of the spot-fixing controversy in the ongoing IPL, in which three players have been arrested by the Delhi Police," it added.

A special cell of the Delhi police arrested India pacer S Sreesanth and his Rajasthan Royals teammates -- Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan -- for indulging in spot-fixing in at least three IPL matches as per arrangements with bookies who have underworld connections abroad.

The players, who have been suspended by the BCCI, were brought to Delhi and charged under section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC.

The Board has also suspended first-class cricketer Amit Singh, allegedly a bookmaker now and arrested along with 10 other bookies on Thursday.

"Mr. Amit Singh, a registered player with the Gujarat Cricket Association, who has also been arrested by the Delhi Police, has been suspended by the BCCI, pending inquiry," the BCCI statement added.

Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar had referred to Amit as Amit Kumar, a bookie, but later it emerged that he was in fact a player who turned up in 23 IPL matches before being released by Rajasthan last season.

The arrested players are also likely to be booked under the stringent MCOCA, Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, which could land them in jail without bail and their confessions before a DCP level officer will be admissible in court.

They were sent to police custody for five days by a Delhi court for being quizzed in connection with the case.

During the hearing, the special cell of the Delhi police sought seven days of custodial interrogation of the cricketers and others to unearth the entire conspiracy relating to spot-fixing.

On Thursday, the police revealed explosive details of the modus operandi followed by bookies and the cricketers, giving audio-visual proof of three IPL matches which were manipulated. The police said they had also intercepted calls from a Dubai number.